Some of your favorite memoriesmightinclude the joy of hearing the song from the ice cream truck as it nears your street, or taking your first cab, riding on a party bus or limousine, or having a large catering spread or evenjust having milk delivered to your doorstep.
Anotherwave ofvendors hit the streets whenservices like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Grubhub, Amazon's one-day delivery, mobile e-gaming trucks, Instacart and Shipt came around.
Since the coronavirus pandemic started,even more mobile and e-commerce experiences have cometo be, andhave also become the main source of income for many entrepreneurs.
COVID-19 restrictions forced metro Detroitentrepreneurs to find unique opportunities to bring their businesses to their customers.
Some entrepreneurs had plans in motion before the pandemic came and for others, the timing of their launches helped them to make major sales.
Here are some unique businesses that are bringingproducts and experiences to metroDetroiters:
This bowling alley will come to you
When you walk into Luxury Strike Bowling, you'll see flashing lights, hear music of your choice and listen to the clashing of bowling pins. In addition, you'll have a personal assistant that will help with programming the bowling system.
Luxury Strike Bowling owner Terrence Rodney Jackson Jr., 34, of Lathrup Village has always been in the vehicle conversion industry. He has transformed party buses, trucks for the industrial tool industry, over 200 limousines for companies and even had a mobile boutique. But the bowling experience brings something unique to the table.
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"I wanted something that would introduce luxury entertainment and physical interactive entertainment. That is key. (There's) nothing like that available," said Jackson. Although there are mobile e-gaming rental options in the area, he said bowling is different. E-gaming is "interactive, but it's not physical. And what's better than bowling?Everybody loves bowling."
The idea of the bowling alley came about two years ago.Luxury Strike Bowling launched on Juneteenth in 2020. Thebowling alley is typically booked for about 20 to 30 events a week and rental prices startat $500 for two hours.
It wasn't easy for Jackson to create what he says isthe "world's first mobile bowling alley." He said he faced many struggles during the pandemic like a shortage of parts coming into the country. At one point, he couldn't even find paint. But Jackson accomplished the building process in three months.
"I've studied the trends and I've studied where business in modern day life is going, and I've seen it was all about convenience," Jackson said. "No matter what age you are, you'll pick up a bowling ball and throw it down the lane. The only way to get an authentic bowling experience is to go to a bowling alley. I'm the firstto ever make it happen on wheels and make it mobile."
One of his favorite quotes is to "bet on yourself" and it's written in the inside of the truck. Jackson wants people to enjoy the bowling experience and create memories, but he also wantsto show what is possible when using creativity.
These businesses offer beauty on the go
Detroit native NiCole Norman, 32,launched Bliss Beauty University, a mobile beauty supply store, in Atlanta. When the coronavirus pandemic started, she movedback to Detroit and brought the business.
What makes her mobile beauty supply store unique is that she also has a goal to uplift women in the beauty supply industry. Normanalso is a fashion and beauty product distributor, so when you enter her truck, you can find products from other woman-owned companies.
"Bliss Beauty University will be a community of women," Norman said. "I feel like we need to dominate this industry. That's the big goal for me. ... My target audience is more so beauty-based professionals. I sell anything from your regular DIY to someone who works in the salon. From rubber bands and barrettes to shampoo and flat irons, color or hair."
Norman does pop-up shops and events. Deliverystartsat 5 a.m. and usually ends around 10 p.m. She just hired two drivers.
The university part of the Bliss Beauty includesclasses on how to get business credit, accounts for beauty products, branding, marketing and being mobile.
The beauty business takes a lot of networking, Norman said. "Now that I've done the due diligence, I want to make it easier for somebody to do the next thing. It doesn't have to take so much out of you to do. But it's possible though."
Beauti Me Nowis another beauty supply store. Before the pandemic, ownerCierra Ballenger, a Detroiter,was running a business selling hair.
"Then COVID happened and everything closed down," Ballenger said. "Everything just stopped. I'm like, 'Well, there's a way for me to still do this.' I had an EIN. With a lot of vendors, you have to have a business account. So I started getting the accounts easily and I started ordering a lot of stuff."
During the pandemic, Ballenger said people were looking for braiding hair and otherprotective products. When she ordered her first batch of braiding hair, she sold out on the same day. And people needed additional supplies, like edge control and combs. The business grew to having a full store's worth of items.
Beauti Me Now officially started in 2020, and Ballenger has moved it out of her personal vehicle and into avinyl-wrapped truck. She delivers between 30 to 40 orders in a week.The business also offers a wholesale programfor hairstylists to order items in bulk.
"(A mobile beauty supply)is an essential," Ballenger said. "COVID showed me that people will make sure that their hair, nails and everything is done before anything. I'm a big advocate on beauty and looking good. With COVID, a lot of people were stressed and depressed, and if you had the opportunity to get your hair and nails done while sitting in the house, that's what you were goingto do."
So you need a bartender
Samara Hendricks, owner of MixIt Misses luxury bar, has been a server at restaurants for over eight years, and she had always dreamed of starting a mobile bartending business. When the COVID-19 pandemic started and restaurants closed temporarily, she was at home, so she used the money she had been saving and officially launched in February.
"Luxury is meant to be expensive, but should not be overpriced,"said Hendricks, 28, from Detroit. "Everyone should be able to afford luxury. That's why I make sure that my prices are set to be affordable."
With the rental price of $125 and occasional price reductions, Hendricks' business has been booked every weekend and occasionally works two events in one day. She employs three people. The event host has toprovide their own liquor, but MixIt Misses brings the mixes, garnishes, cups and other supplies.
She is still working in the automotive industry 50 hours a weekand she is a mother. Being inspired by her child, she plans to launch a mobile bar for kids, where she wants to serve ice cream, milkshakes and fruit drinks with toys and candy.
Another mobile bartending business calledQuenched Mobile Bartending Servicewas launched in 2018 by Devan Clark Kelly, who got her start working and helping out in her uncle'sbar. She went on to bartending school and got her certification, and opened her mobile business with the help of her husband, Marcus Kelly.
"You want to keep up with the times that's going on," Devan Clark Kelly said. "The event business is this huge thing. Everybody is throwing events. ... It's become even a bigger trend. And people pay for convenienceand people love convenience. I wanted to capitalize on that (by bringing) perfectly premixed co*cktails ... right to your door."
Clark Kelly creates the drinks and delivers them to homes every Friday. Her delivery area is45miles out from Canton. She alsocaters events in metro Detroit for $250 for four hours if the venue has a bar. If a mobile bar is needed, the price will increase.Clark Kelly works at about three events a week outside of her home delivery day.
Clark Kelly got the word out about Quenched by approaching other businesses withtents and pavilions at parks, working at vendor events and utilizing social media. When the coronavirus pandemic started, requests for home delivery increased tremendously.
"People were really looking forward to getting their Friday co*cktails and having an in-home party," Clark Kelly said. "It was really cool. We were very blessed."
Making produce accessible
After Dazmonique Carr, 25, faced her own food insecurities, the Detroit resident started Deeply Rooted Produce, which aims to help low income people get access to high quality fruits and vegetables. Carr wants to make sure that Detroiters don't have to give up better quality produce because it is too expensive, and that they can have access to farmers in Detroit.
"Currently, we have about 20CSA (community supported agriculture) subscribers," Carr said. "Two of those people will be SNAP EBT participants. We accept WIC and Double Up Food Bucks as well. We really want to incentivize low-income community members to get this produce."
Carr started a student organization at Wayne State University in 2016, and officially filed the paperwork to become a registered business in 2017. Today, she is looking to upgrade her delivery van with design planscreated by students.
"This year, we're focusing on home delivery and some commercial delivery for products to grocery stores," Carr said. "The goal is to raise enough money to outfit a step-up van. It's going to be a mobile truck that can be used exclusively for a mobile market."
Deeply Rooted Produce hosts a donation-based Sunday dinner each week at Rivendell Gardens at 14545 Wilshire Road in Detroit, where people can purchase a meal made with produce grown in Detroit. The link to purchase a meal is available on the Deeply Rooted Produce Linktree website. The company has a goal to work with the City of Detroit to expand its services.
Contact staff writer Chanel Stitt on Twitter: @ByChanelStitt.
